Page 109 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

I narrow my eyes at her. “Stalker.”

“Oh, hush. You’re secretly glad I know these things.”

We keep walking, and I try to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach as we get closer to the set. I’m still raw from our breakup and the thought of seeing him here, looking effortlessly handsome, yeah, I could do without that visual.

Fuck, why did I come out?

Penny suddenly slows down, her eyes catching on the scene being filmed on set. I follow her gaze, and my chest tightens at what I see. It’s a couple in the middle of an argument, right there on the sidewalk, under a streetlamp that casts a dramatic glow over their faces. They’re shouting, emotions spilling over with each line, and something about it feels unsettlingly familiar.

I take a step closer, my heart hammering in my chest as I strain to listen.

It’s our argument. Silas and I, that day when we tore each other apart. The words coming from the actors’ mouths are almost word-for-word what we’d said to each other. And just like that night, I feel the same sting of betrayal, the same overwhelming heartbreak.

“Did he put our fight in the—”

Penny touches my shoulder. “Hush, babe.”

The actor playing Silas steps forward, reaching for the actress with a desperate plea in his eyes, and she hesitates, then finally takes his hand. The scene ends with a passionate, swoon-worthy kiss under the streetlamp's glow, like something from a romance novel.

“Wow,” Penny whispers beside me. “That was intense.”

“That was us!”

Penny stares at me. “What?”

“That didn’t sound familiar?”

“Should it?”

“That was the fight I had with Silas! Some words were changed, but that was it! What kind of douchebag puts one of the worst moments of my life in a movie like it doesn’t matter?”

Penny frowns, glances at the set, and back at me. “I mean, I don’t think so? They literally kissed at the end of their fight. Everything worked out for them.”

Maybe she’s right. Perhaps I’m overthinking this.

I try to brush it off with a forced smile. “Yeah. Sometimes, I wish I’d gotten my happily ever after, too.”

Penny looks at me, her eyes soft. “Hey, you never know.” She glances around as if she’s hiding something.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, suspicious.

She opens her mouth to respond, but is cut off by a sudden hush that falls over the set. The actors and crew members all look at each other, then turn toward us with knowing smiles. I frown, glancing at Penny, who’s got this mischievous glint in her eyes that makes my heart skip a beat.

“What’s going on?”

Then, as if on cue, the entire crew starts producing roses out of nowhere, each person holding one as they slowly get down on one knee. The sight is so surreal that it takes my brain a full ten seconds to process what’s happening. Penny is grinning from ear to ear, and I’m just standing there, slack-jawed and frozen.

“Penny, what’s—"

And then I see him.

Silas steps into the middle of the set, a single white rose in one hand and a small box in the other. He’s wearing a dark suit that fits him perfectly, his hair slightly tousled, and his face . . . well, it’s etched with emotion so raw it makes my breath catch. He looks straight at me, and I feel my cheeks flush as he steps closer.

I blink, trying to catch my breath. “Silas . . . What . . . ?”

Penny gives me a little nudge, whispering, “Surprise.”

Oh, my God.

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